Wendy Williams’ Guardian Says She’s Become ‘Permanently Disabled and Legally Incapacitated’ After Dementia Diagnosis

Wendy Williams’ ongoing battle with early-onset dementia has advanced, according to her court-appointed guardian.

In new documents obtained by PEOPLE, Sabrina E. Morrissey, the former talk show host’s court-appointed guardian, claimed that Williams has become “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled and legally incapacitated.”

The update on Williams’ health comes amid Morrissey’s ongoing legal battle with A&E Television Networks, Lifetime Entertainment and other affiliates involved with the release of Where Is Wendy Williams?, a docuseries about television personality’s guardianship, health diagnoses and life after The Wendy Williams Show.

“This case arises from the brutally calculated, deliberate actions of powerful and cravenly opportunistic media companies working together with a producer to knowingly exploit [Williams],” the documents read, referencing her frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. “FTD is a progressive disease, meaning that there is no cure and the symptoms only get worse over time.”

The filing alleged that the media companies behind the series “filmed without a valid contract and released without Guardian’s consent.” It also claims that Williams was in a “highly vulnerable” state and she was “clearly incapable of consenting to being filmed, much less humiliated and exploited.”

Morrissey is asking the court approve “narrowly applied redactions” to certain portions of the ongoing lawsuit involving her “health, familial relationships and finances” in order to protect the TV host’s “privacy and dignity.”

A&E has since filed a counterclaim against Morrissey, arguing that Williams, Morrissey, or anyone else from their team never “attempted to stop production of the Documentary.” They alleged that there was no effort to “terminate the talent agreement” nor was there ever a claim that “Williams’ signature on the Talent Agreement was not authentic.”

“We also describe how Williams’ manager Will Selby saw the Documentary and its Trailer before they aired and expressed enthusiastic support, and Williams’ family members also watched the Documentary before it aired and expressed support for its release, and even sat for press interviews in connection with its release,” the network added in a statement, citing their counterclaim.

Williams’ court-ordered guardianship first began in April 2022 following Williams’ ongoing health issues with Graves’ disease, lymphedema and alcohol abuse. She was later placed in a care facility, with alleged limited contact to her family.

In February, Williams’ medical care team revealed the 60-year-old television personality had been diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). According to a press release at the time, she received her diagnosis in 2023 and her medical team said the conditions “have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life.”

“Wendy is still able to do many things for herself,” the team said in a statement. “Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.”

Williams spoke out later that day in a statement to PEOPLE, saying she has “immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis.”

“Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming. The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion,” she said. “I hope that others with FTD may benefit from my story … I continue to need personal space and peace to thrive. Please just know that your positivity and encouragement are deeply appreciated.”

The same day her diagnosis was released, Morrissey filed a lawsuit against Lifetime’s parent company A&E Television Networks, seeking to halt the release of the documentary. That effort was eventually denied by an appeals court, after which Lifetime confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE that “the documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? will air this weekend as planned.”

Around that time, Williams’ sister Wanda Finnie told PEOPLE that she wasn’t made aware of Williams’ diagnosis after she was placed in a facility to be treated for cognitive issues. Finnie stated that the family hadn’t received information on Williams’ diagnosis since the fall of 2021 when the star spent time in Florida with family.

The family also alleged that Morrissey is the only person who currently has unfettered access to her.

“How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who’s in and out of the hospital?” Finnie asked. “How is that system better than the system the family could put in place? I don’t know. I do know that this system is broken. I hope that at some point, Wendy becomes strong enough where she can speak on her own behalf.”

Morrissey has not commented on the family’s allegations, despite PEOPLE’s multiple requests for comment.

In August, Williams was spotted out for the first time with her son, Kevin Hunt Jr. — whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Hunter — at the holistic store Bolingo Balance in Newark, N.J.